Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

Noticed that someone on here just started Atonement. I've read Atonement and Amsterdam, both of which I found amazing. I'd love to read more by Ian McEwan, so I'm interested in what you've read and which one is your favorite.

I think I like the two I've read equally well. Loved them!

I've read all the McEwan books on the list. The child in time was probably my favourite. Found the comfort of strangers quite a disturbing little book. I think his latest is called Chiesel beach will have to see if they have a copy at the library.

I've read Atonement and On Chesil Beach. He's a phenomenal writer but I find his work so depressing that I'm not too keen to read more any time soon. (I know Saturday is about 9/11, so that can't be too uplifting.) Can you recommend any of his books that won't leave me needing a stiff drink?

I wouldn't say that Saturday is about 9/11, but it isn't exactly uplifting, either. It's a study of the way things change quickly (over 24 hours) but remain the same. I loved it.

I'd recommend Amsterdam. It's pretty quick and hardly depressing, although it is about death.

I just love how McEwan describes the ordinary. So, so good.

My favorite is The Innocent; but, alas, it is sad also. I'd have the stiff drink ready, just in case.

I didn't find Saturday depressing, but the events that the book is about could generate the need for a stiff one when the suspense is over.

You could try The Daydreamer if you like young adult fare. It's quite fanciful and fun!

Atonement absolutely blew me away -- I haven't enjoyed any of the others I've read as much. I'll have to check out Amsterdam.

The early ones are really dark, twisted, and disturbing, and I have no desire to read more of them than I already have. No Enduring Love for me, please!

Saturday isn't about 9/11 from what I remember it doesn't even mention the day.
The Iain Banks book Dead Air does right at the start, and if you need a break from the darkness and depression of Mr McEwan you can try Banks 4 of his books are on the list.
Can't say that any of McEwan's books left on the list aren't depressing though Amsterdam is probably the least likely to leave you depressed.

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll add The Daydreamer (I do read YA books a fair bit, and it's exciting to have a writer of his caliber penning something in that genre) and Amsterdam to my to-read list.

Not sure why I thought Saturday was about 9/11, but thanks for setting me straight.

There is mention of 9/11 in the first few pages, and it was one of the first books published after the day that addresses it. Terrorism and violence is discussed in the book, so that's probably what you heard.

Those are the two I've read also -- Atonement and On Chesil Beach. I much preferred On Chesil Beach, because I loved how perfectly McEwan illustrated how a bunch of small misunderstandings could lead to the disintegration of a relationship. I love how psychological his books are, but I'm with you on wishing they weren't quite so depressing! Perhaps I liked On Chesil Beach because it was nice and short -- just enough sadness for one sitting and then you're done!

I was surprised to see tepid reviews on amazon for Chesil Beach but didn't get around to reading what people disliked about it.

I just heard a sparkling review of Chesil Beach on NPR by a critic who in the same breath derided McEwan for falling apart in the last half of Saturdays. I believe she called Chesil Beach 'everything a McEwan novel should be, that Saturdays failed to'.

I don't think there is an Ian McEwan book I haven't liked! Enduring Love and Atonement are two of my favorites. Chesil Beach was short and not well developed, but well-written nonetheless. He always looks at the dark side of human nature and makes you think about things that you don't necessarily want to! I liked Saturday as well.

Wow really? I loved the way Saturday ended and had the sense of everything coming together in a way that was meaningful and satisfying and memorable. It was a little bit of a sharp turn but I thought it was purposeful. The family's life is happily ordinary and then they have this bizarre experience like something out of a movie. But this was - I thought - the dissonance or contrasting color that somehow makes the rest more meaningful. I thought the first half of the novel was a pathway to the last half, which just took my breath away, especially the use of Dover Beach - the poem and novel seemed to explain one another.

On Chesil Beach though - I just got through reading The French Lieutenant's Woman and noticed that Chesil beach was the site for one of the love scenes (unless I'm not remembering correctly) and thought that was interesting though there is probably no real connection

So, I read Saturday first, and wasn't impressed. I saw a lot of positive feedback about McEwan on the board, so when I picked up Atonement last week, I did so with as neutral a bearing as I could.

And I'm sorry. I don't think I believe the hype. There is nothing wrong with the book, but there was nothing absorbing for me either. I found it mediocre. This is somewhat disheartening as it looks as though nearly everything the man has written appears on this list, and I will get to them, but I don't think he's much my cup of tea.

If there's consensus on which of the remaining McEwan novels is a fan favorite, that would help me either a) read that one next or b) save it for last among his works.

Saturday was mistakenly labeled as a post 9/11 novel. While it does have somewhat of a terrorism angle, it is not about 9/11. I personally find Ian McEwan highly overrated after having tried several of his books, but I haven't yet read Atonement. Maybe it's just too... too British? I dunno...

Saturday actually has a very slight reference to 9/11 -- so I'm not sure how it can be seen as "mistakenly" labeled post 9/11 -- it is specifically post 9/11, I believe. Still, I was not as taken wtih it as I might have been at first. Once I did get involved in the story however, it was a good read.

I would recommend Amsterdam as it is my personal favoriote along with Enduring Love though that one took me three attempts and is in my opinion not an easy story with which a connection is forged.

Enduring Love has the most remarkable opening chapters of all the McEwan books and I think one of my favorites of all novels I've read. But I thought the story went on too long and it lost me. A shame because it's a really interesting concept - how obsessions grow out of unresolved traumas. But! I really appreciated the movie because it opened up a possibility that I completely didn't see when I read the book - which was that the guy had been obsessed with the writer before the balloon accident and had followed him to the picnic! Like I said, I didn't read that one well because it wasn't a smooth read for me after the first few chapters

Yes, it was a post 9/11 novel, but calling it a post 9/11 novel is misleading, that was my point. It has nothing to do with 9/11, unlike other books that came out post 9/11, other than a mention of some paranoia as a result of 9/11. That aside, I was not crazy about this book. It kept changing focus... I dunno!

I have to agree... not that I've read them all... If you thought the Enduring Love's opening scene was remarkable you should see the film - you won't forget it, very disturbing!

I love the Cement Garden, which I am pretty sure is on the list. It is depressing in a way, but mostly just shocking. It's a quick read too.

Oh the film (Enduring Love) was great. It made sense and moved quickly where the book was sluggish.

Just finished Enduring Love. Really enjoyed the book. The film didn't do the book justice. I started Chiesel Beach very good so far I am sure I will finish it tonight. I really like McEwan's writing thus far. Yes a bit depressing but we all have trials in our lives it's a matter of who we cope with them.

Sadly, I've tried a few of this author's and cannot seem to get into any. Disappointed, since I've heard so many good reviews ...

Try and try again!

Atonement is one of my favorite books of all time. I did really enjoy Saturday, although SO different. I recently finished On Chesil Beach... the prose is so lush. I LOVED it. It's a very quick read; I think I finished in less than 24 hours. I've tried Amsterdam three times, and just can't seem to get into it!

Kaley have you read earlier McEwan's like Cement Garden? There is nothing he's written that I haven't at least been interested in.

Happy reading!

No, I haven't. But I will add it to my TO-READ. Thanks for the recommendation!

Just chiming in here on McEwan.

I agree with Courtney's statement, but "The Cement Garden" is my least favorite of the McEwan books I have read. I just didn't see enough change in the main character to merit his central role and became a little tired of the incestuous references.

The thing that I like though about CEMENT GARDEN is how "out there" it was for when written. You can see where ATTONEMENT got it's roots as it were.

Peace,
xo C

Least favourite was the comfort of strangers, it's one of McEwan's shortest books, but very unnerving.

The only McEwan book I ever read was Black Dogs. I found it interesting and different. I had never heard of him before at the time, which made the read even better. There is a certain thrill to discovering a good writer, even if the rest of the world already knows about him.

Denise,

BLACK DOGS was good, but it felt very different from his other stuff (and I think I've read all to date...).

Peace,
C

I've got Amsterdam sitting on the coffee table. I'm saving it for the plane because it's small.

So far, I've read Amsterdam, Saturday and Enduring Love. Out of those three, my favorite was, by far, Saturday. I think McEwan is at his best when describing everyday things or actions through the lens of a keen observer, e.g. composing a paragraph about preparing dinner. Without wanting to give away spoilers, though, I must say that I was quite disappointed with the poetry-reciting scene in Saturday... completely unbelievable.

(It occurred to me just now, writing this comment, that that's one of the reasons I like Haruki Murakami's writing so much: he too manages to describe his protagonists' daily chores in such a way that they become charming - almost as enthralling as his metaphysical weirdness :).)

I have read both Atonement and Enduring love. Didn't like Atonement from what I can remember and so didn't enjoy the thought of picking up more of this guys work but actually I really liked enduring love. Although yes, disturbing in places, but very well done. Not dreading reading his others as much as I was previously!

I read The Comfort of Strangers first off and was intrigued and horrified by it. After I saw the film version with Natasha Richardson, I decided to read Amsterdam and Atonement. Having now read three of his books I find them no longer interesting. I have no more desire to read any other of his books, nor would I be interested in reading any of these three over again.
I would, however, see the film again as I recall it being so lavishly cinemagraphic.

I just find his obsession with sadism-masochism and homicide-suicide to be too much.

Amsterdam is my ultimate favorite McEwan book. I tried to read Atonement but just couldn't get through it.

I went to the used bookstore today and tried to find some McEwan books, but he had none at all....maybe next time. I have never read any of his books.

Today I finished McEwan'a novel "Enduring Love" and I must say it belongs to his best books. And then I watched the picture and was a little bit appalled. Not even the name of the female protagonist is right to the book (Clarissa/Claire), not to mention the characters on the whole. Maybe the film would work when you didn't know something about the book. What do you mean?

Definitely Atonement :)

Haven't read anything but that book, but I was taken aback.. such a great novel!

Denise wrote: "I've got Amsterdam sitting on the coffee table. I'm saving it for the plane because it's small."
Denise have you considered investing in an e-reader? greatvfor traveling!

Hi everyone. I run a 300+ member book club in Ann Arbor that is based off the list of 1001.

I also have the crazy goal of reviewing every single book on the list for my literary blog, www.emlynchand.com

Ian McEwan is one of my absolute favorite contemporary authors. He just has such a majesty with his prose. "Atonement" is my favorite of McEwan's works.

I reviewed "Atonement" for my site with a plot preview and a list of reasons why a reader may like or dislike the book.

I hope you'll take a look!

Emlyn

http://emlynchand.com/2010/12/23/book...

I've read a number of McEwan's books and Atonement is still my favourite (which was also the first book I read from him). I must've read it a couple of times and it still gets me every single time xD

Thanks for the link to your review/blog Emlyn. Your review made sense to me as to why I didn't like the book. Granted I made the mistake of watching the movie first, and then trying to read the book. So knowing how it all ends, maybe ruined the book for me, and I just could not get into the book.

But I do have a question, how is it that McEwan has so many more books on the list than any other author? I guess I just find it difficult to believe that he got all those books put on the list based solely on the merit of his writing. :/

I love, love, love McEwan's writing. But I can still answer your question. I actually went through and some point and counted up how many times each author appears on the list. McEwan appears 8. Here's a list of authors by their appearances:

10-Dickens, Coetzee
9-Woolf
8-McEwan, Greene, Beckett
7-Lawrence, Delillo, Ballard, Roth, Rushdie, Bellow, Hardy

and so on and so forth...

:-)

But still, only 10 Dickens to 8 McEwans?

The list is definitely 20th century-heavy.

Emlyn wrote: "I love, love, love McEwan's writing. But I can still answer your question. I actually went through and some point and counted up how many times each author appears on the list. McEwan appears 8. He..."

Which version of the list were you using for your count?

My favorite McEwan is absolutely Black Dogs. I thought it was a near-perfect book.

That's right. There're vastly different editions. I use the 2003 list, here: http://emlynchand.com/2010/12/25/are-...